How to stop licking stitches

[MOKASMOM]

Hello Everyone. Moka had her 1st surgery on 7-15-04. They were able to do TPO surgery on her right hip. So now my question is how do I stop Moka from licking or chewing the surrounding area of her stiches. I asked the vet about the e-collar and he told me it wasnt needed. Well it just so happens I HAVE A e-collar anyways so I tried it on her yesterday. It was hell on her. She panted so bad and drooling all over her head like she gave herself a bath. So I took the collar off and it relaxed her alot. She is way to stressed with this on her head. So how do I prevent her from licking the stiches? She has them taken out on the 30th. She has 3 incisions. 1-incision has about 20 stiches and the other 2 have staples and stiches in them. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. She is crated when I am not home to supervise her. Other wise she is allowed out of her crate as long as she is calm and quiet and lays down.

Thank You,

[Squeaky2004]

My girl just came home from an overnight stay at the vet's for her spay surgery. We did not use an e-collar either. Surprisingly enough she never did go to lick them too much. When she did, all we had to do was give her her command to stop and kinda push her head out of the area. Now that the stitches are healing they are driving her insane, these are the ones that will go away on there own overtime. It has been 2 weeks now like I said, now we are just being more forceful with her "NO LICK" and most times she stops immediately. I don't know if you have just tried a command (if yah said that in your post sorry going through short term memory loss at the moment). Otherwise I am sure someone more experienced will chime in here soon, good luck!

[MOKASMOM]

Hey Squeaky,

I forget to tell you I do use the "No Lick" command when I am there and she listens. It's when I am not home that she can do whatever she wants and I am not there to supervise it.

[flyballmom]

Charleigh used to be that way about e-collars too. I put one on her, acted like it was no big deal, gave her a couple of the best, stinkiest treats I could find, then progressed to asking for a sit before the treat, etc. There is also a product called Bandgard that I've heard of but never used. It's only available thru a vet. You can spray something like Bitter Apple/Lime AROUND the incision, just don't get any ON them. Charleigh didn't really lick immediately after her TPLO's, but she was a lick-demon when the fur started to grow back.

Originally Posted by MOKASMOM

Hello Everyone. Moka had her 1st surgery on 7-15-04. They were able to do TPO surgery on her right hip. So now my question is how do I stop Moka from licking or chewing the surrounding area of her stiches. I asked the vet about the e-collar and he told me it wasnt needed. Well it just so happens I HAVE A e-collar anyways so I tried it on her yesterday. It was hell on her. She panted so bad and drooling all over her head like she gave herself a bath. So I took the collar off and it relaxed her alot. She is way to stressed with this on her head. So how do I prevent her from licking the stiches? She has them taken out on the 30th. She has 3 incisions. 1-incision has about 20 stiches and the other 2 have staples and stiches in them. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. She is crated when I am not home to supervise her. Other wise she is allowed out of her crate as long as she is calm and quiet and lays down.

Thank You,

[Tank's Grandma]

We would tell Tank "put on your hat" and tell him what a good boy he was, and how handsome, with his hat on and just be no nonsense about it, and also give treats at first when he would let us put it on. He got used to the fact the when we left for work it was going on. And would come off as soon as we came home and then we would use a "no lick" command. But we kept him in the small bathroom, not his crate with the e collar on. The one time we tried the e collar in the crate he went nuts.
Otherwise with 3 incisions, there was just too much temptation.

[debbiej]

when Hilda was spayed, the vet suggested a tee shirt, and it worked very well for that incision. she showed me how to cut leg holes and a slit to make into tails to tie it tight above her rump. I did have to sew a little to get a tight fit. but she actually seemed to like wearing it! Moka's incisions may be in places that a tee wouldn't protect though.

[moondog]

Here's a much more comfortable-for-the-dog alternative to the godforsaken elizabethan collar:

http://www.vetamerica.com/binotco75ea.html

And, as a moneysaving bonus, you can make one yourself!

Originally Posted by Judy W

It looks like a cervical collar, goes around the neck only so they can't bend their necks. Protects belly or rear end of dog just fine without all the problems of the e collar. Purchased ones are foam lined plastic with velcro fastening. You can make one with a piece of bendable plastic or a bendable piece of cardboard wrapped inside a towel and taped with duct tape. A heavy towel folded and taped will often work also. Look for a picture of the collar on the internet and it will give you a better idea of how they work.

[MOKASMOM]

Originally Posted by moondog

Here's a much more comfortable-for-the-dog alternative to the godforsaken elizabethan collar:

http://www.vetamerica.com/binotco75ea.html

And, as a moneysaving bonus, you can make one yourself!

Thanks Moondog....I just purchased this and will see if it works. I had it overnighted so yeah it costed me more but if it works I will try anything. Right now she has no e-collar on and I am just worried she will chew her stiches out.

Thanks to everyone that replied,

[I Love KAOS]

When KAOS was neutered, the vet prescibed him an Anti Lick ointment..
we applied it to his stitches, and after one taste of that stuff, he decided it was best not to go anywhere near that sensitive area..
He found the taste offensive.

[fbkeays]

When Misty had her TPLO a few years ago the vet gave us an e-collar. The result was that Misty almost sawed her foot off with the edge of the collar trying to get to the stitches. I called several times asking for sedatives, but they didn't believe me. I ended up sitting with her for two days to prevent her form taking out the stitches. Someone told me about the "no-bite" collar and it worked for preventing her from getting to the stitches. Unfortunately, it also had the side effect of blocking off her ears (not quite the right fit???) and causing a terrible ear infection.
When the vet saw what she did to her foot, she couldn't believe it. She asked how that happened. When I told her and told her that I wanted sedatives and was denied, she was appologtic. Misty has never been a good patient Misty now has a scar 2" by 1", devoid of fur on her foot where she nearly "sawed" to the bone in one day.
I have loaned out the "no-bite" collar several times with much success. Dogs tolerate it better because they are not "cut off" from the world like with an e-collar.

[jas'smom]

For Jas's recent stitches in her foot I took Judy's suggestion and put a small amount of Vicks around the site careful not to get any in the wound area. She hated the smell and stayed away from her stitches for weeks.

[fbkeays]

I have pretty determined rottweilers. No amount of "Stuff" put on or near an owie will deter them from licking. I have tried the usual- bitter apple, to alum, to hot sauce and even vic's. The first time my dog tasted Vic's, he wrinkled his nose and foamed a bit, but then went right back to licking.